Roller platen



March 1, 1955 a sM TH 2,703,017

ROLLER PLATEN Filed April 3, 1952 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent ROLLER PLATEN Hollis B. Smith, Little Ferry, N. L, assignor to Tele-Trip Policy Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation Application April 3, 1952, Serial No. 280,219

7 Claims. (Cl. 7486) This invention relates to a printing platen. More particularly the invention concerns a printing platen of the roller type.

Single or multilayer sheet formats are frequently stamped or imprinted during the operation of recording machines of the coin operated policy vending type or the like. The stamping orimprinting means applies to the sheet various indicia such as date, time, amount of money or other desired information. The sheet to be stamped is positioned on' a suitable support, is engaged on one side by a stamping head, and is pressed on theother side by a platen at a predetermined time during the operation of the machine.

An object of this invention is to provide in a machine of the character described, a simple, efficient platen of the roller type, which requires a minimum amount of operating mechanism and insures a clear imprint by the stamping head.

Another object of this invention is to provide for use with a fixed stamping head, an improved roller platen which is adaptedto press a sheet against the type of the head with a smooth, rolling pressure.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved roller platen assembly which includes a carriage for moving the platen into and out of operative position at high speed during the cyclical operation of the machine with which the assembly is associated.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved roller platen assembly wherein a roller is arranged for movement between advanced and retracted positions while in a free rolling condition, together with improved means for elevating and depressing the roller in timed relation to the other movements thereof.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the embodiment hereinafter described, and 'of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a roller platen assembly, embodying the invention, with the parts thereof in a normal, inoperative position;

Fig. 2 shows the parts in an operating but pre-operative position;

Fig. 3 shows the parts in their operative position;

Fig. 4 shows the parts in a post operative position;

Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4, showing the carriage in a collapsed position; and

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of the platen assembly.

Referring in detail to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 6, 10 designates a roller platen assembly embodying the invention which forms a part of the stamping or printing section of a recording machine such as a coin operated policy-vending machine or the like. It is understood that the assembly may be incorporated in any machine which includes sheet stamping means.

As indicated in Figs. 2, 3, the platen assembly is designed to operate during the stamping of a sheet S which is positioned on a fiat wall 11 having an opening 12 which exposes both sides of the sheet. A stamping head generally indicated at 13 is positioned over the opening 12 and includes the various type faces for stamping the desired indicia. Such stamping operation takes place when a roller platen 14 moves from a retracted position as shown in Fig. 1 to an advanced position as shown in Fig. 4, the roller being elevated during said movement to press the sheet S against thehead 13, as shown in Fig. 3.

Platen roller 14 has shaft portions 15 projecting from the opposite ends thereof, on which are mounted a set of inner similar ball bearings 16 and a set of outer ball bearings 17 of lesser diameter. The roller 14 is mounted for free rotation in a pair of arms 18 which are formed at their upper ends with a forked portion 19 which slidably receives bearings 17. The arms 18 are pivotally mounted as at 20 upon suitable portions of a frame or casing, not shown.

The arms 18 are pivoted by means of a cam 21 which is suitably journalled on the frame, not shown and which is cyclically rotated by means of a clutch and motor, not shown, for a single revolution, in a manner known in the art. Such cam is adapted to move a cam roller 22 mounted on the lower end of an arm 23 which is rigidly secured at its upper end to a transverse member24 suitably journalled at its opposite ends. Also rigidly secured to member 24 are a pair of similar arms 25 which are pivotally connected at their lower ends to the lower ends of arms 18 by links 26. A spring 27 connects the mid portion of each arm 25 with the frame, not shown, so as to bias the linkage to the left, looking at Figs. l-5.

Roller 14 is supported and elevated during the movement thereof, by means of a movable carriage which comprises a pair of similar, parallel, longitudinally extending rails 28. Each rail '28 is formed on its top edge with slightly depressed portions, 29, 29a at the opposite ends thereof and a slightly raised portion 30 between portions 29, 29a, forming shoulders 31, 31a at the junctures thereof.

Rails 28 are mounted for longitudinal movement by means of pairs of short arms 32, 33 pivotally attached at their upper ends to said rails and pivotally mounted at their lower ends to the frame, not shown. Forward movement of the rails 28 is limited by fixed stops 34 which are adapted to engage arms 32 while retracted movement of the rails is limited by stops 35, which are adapted to engage arms 33. The stops 34 are so positioned that when arms 32 engage the stops, the pivotal connections at the upper ends of arms 32, 33 are slightly forward of the pivotal connections at the lower ends of the arms, as indicated in Fig. 2, for the purpose hereinafter appearing. A spring 36 on each arm 18, connected to the opposite ends of shaft 15, resiliently urges the bearings 16 on the shaft into engagement with the top edge of rails 28.

Normally, when the roller 14 is in its inoperative position at rest, the same is positioned on rail edge portions 29a and the rails 28 are-in a retracted, collapsed condition, as indicated in Fig. 1. The cam 21 is in a position such that the roller 22 engages a low portion 21a of the cam edge, thus locating links 26 in a forward position and inclining arms 18 rearwardly. The springs 27 bias the links 26 to said forward position. It is understood that with the rails in their collapsed position and the roller 14 in a depressed portion of the rails, the upper surface of the roller is in a plane below the plane of the supported sheet S.

When cam 21 is rotated in a clockwise direction, through the actuating means, not shown, the cam roller 22 wil be moved rearwardly through engagement with higher portions 21b of the cam edge, as shown in Fig. 2. The links 26 will then move to the right and arms 18 Will be pivoted in a counterclockwise direction about pivots 20. Since the roller bearings 16 on roller 14 are spring pressed against shoulders 31a of rails 28, the pivoted movement of the arms 18 will result in conjoint movement of the roller 14 and rails 28, thus elevating the rails by an amount measured by the angular swing of arms 32, 33. The stops 34 will limit the advance of the rails, as shown in Fig. 2.

While the rails 28 will be elevated, in the position shown in Fig. 2, the roller 14 is still on depressed rail edge portion 29a and therefore slightly below the underside of sheet S. Upon continued clockwise rotation of cam 21, earn roller 22 will be moved further to the right, looking at Fig. 3, thus, pivoting arms 18 to a position which moves the roller 14 up to the intermediate portion 30 of rails 28. The resultant elevation of he l er i s fi ent o PI Yi a r i engagement between the roller and the undersurface of sheet 8, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby pressing the sheet against the stamping head 13. The slidable relation between roller bearings and'th'e 'forke'd'portion 19 on arms 18 permits the bearings "16 to move readily 'from' shoulders 3121 to'railedge portions 30.

It is apparent that once the rails 28 have been moved to their forward position, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, the position of'the rails as determined by stops 3 4, is such that with the pivotal axes at the upper ends of arms 32, 33 in forwardly offset relation to the pivotal axes at the lower ends of said arms, therails will stay in their elevated position until positively moved to their retracted position, as hereinafter described.

"The continuedrotation' of cam 21 will cause further advanced movement of roller 14 along rail edge portion 30 to'complete the stamping operation on sheet'S and then'roller 14will 'rnove 'to'depressed rail edge portion 29, engagingshoulders 31', as shown in Fig. 4. The roller will then'be depresscd'to a position releasing the sheet S from stamping head 13.

Without further rotation of cam 21 and with engagement of shouldersS]. on rails 28 by roller bearings 16, the action of springs 36 will cause the rails to be pivoted back to .their'retracted position, limited by stops 35, as shown in Fig. 5.

With continued rotation of the cam 21, the cam edge allows springs 27 to become operative to move links 26 to the left, looking at Fig. 5,'thus pivoting arms 18 in a clockwise direction and moving roller 14 back over rail edge portions 30 to its original rest position on rail edge portions 291:, as indicated in Fig. '1.

It will be apparent that with the arrangement of parts shown and described, the passage of the roller platen from a depressed inoperative position to its elevated operative position and back to its original position, is effected in a quick and efficient manner. The pivoted rail support means for the roller eliminates the need for special cams, gear'trains and the like, and further avoids the use of parts'subject to wear.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above'described' invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the drawing, is to be regarded as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having this described my invention, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

1. A rotatable platen roller movable in a substantially horizontal plane, a pair of parallel rails for supporting said 'roller, said rails'h'aving elevated and depressed por tions on the upper edges thereof for varying the elevation of said roller, means for movably mounting said rails for varying" the'elevation thereof, means for moving said roller relative to said rails, resilient means for biasing said roller into engagement with the upper edge of said rails, a shoulder at 'the junction of the elevated and depressed portions'of theupper edges of said rails, said resilient means being operative upon abutment of said roller at said shoulders to effect conjoint movement of said roller 'and rails upon operation of said roller moving means,

2. A rotatable platen roller movable in opposite directions, a pair of longitudinally movable rails for supporting said'roller, movable means for mounting said rails and varying'the elevation thereof between advanced and retracted positions thereof, means for moving said roller relative to said rails, said roller moving means including means for rotatably and slidably mounting said roller, abutment means on oppositeends of s aid transfer engagement by said roller, resilient means for biasing said roller into engagement with said abutment means, means for operating said roller moving means whereby mtcrengagement of said roller and abutment means at one end of said rails will cause said rails to move with said roller in one direction, stop means for limiting the movement of said rails in said one direction while said roller continues its movement relative to said rails toward the abutment means at'the other end thereof, said res1hent means being independently"operativeupon interengagement of said roller with the last mentioned abutment means to move said rails in the opposite direclOIl.

3. A platen roller as in claim 2 and further including second resilient means operative to move said roller relative to said rails in said opposite direction.

4. A rotatable platen roller,a pair of longitudinally movable parallel rails for supporting said r'oller, the top edge of each of said rails being formed withan' intermediate elevated portion and depressed end portions, means for slidably and rotatably' mounting said""roller, means for mounting said rails for simultaneoushorizontal and vertical movement for varying the elevation thereof, means'for limiting the horizontal movement of'said rails in opposlte directions, means 'for 're's'ilientlybiasing said roller" into engagement with the top edge of said 'rails', means for moving said roller relative tosaid rails whereby said roller is'in' successively depressed, elevated and depressed positions, said roller and railsbe ing' intereng'a'ged for a portion'of the movement of saidroller'whereby said'rails are moved from a'depressed to'an'elevated position, said r'oller moving from a depressed to an elevated position while said tails are in their" elevated position, said roller being further movable from said elevated position to the"seconddepressed position while said rails are still in their elevated position, said rails thereafter in response to said lbiasingm'eans'being movable from said elevated'p'osition'to said depressed position thereof. 5

' 5. A rotatable platen roller as in claim 4 wherein said limiting means'is located in a'position' whereby said rails are retained in their elevated position until said roller is in its second mentioned depressed position.

6. In combination; aroller, a'pair of pivoted links, movablesupporting means for said roller comprising a rail pivotally connected at the opposite ends thereof to said links to provide combined horizontal and vertical movement, releasable intereng'ageable means on said roller and said rail, and means for moving said roller in a direction normal to the longitudinalaxis thereof whereby said rail .is moved therewith to change the'horizontal level of said'roller.

7. The combination as in claim 6 and further includ ingk means for limiting the "pivoted movement'of said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 290,220 Fahrney Dec. 18, 1883 876,132 B'e'chman Jan.7', 1908 1,280,192 Duncan Oct. 1, 1918 2,043,056 Mueller June 2, 1936 2,587,612" Gilbert Mar. 4, 1952 2,606,494 Vo'gt Aug. 12, '1952 2,639,662 Elliott May 26, '1953 

